Peter Smith

LEEDS RHINOS’ 70-6 thrashing of Salford Red Devils has given their confidence a boost ahead of the Super-8s, according to winger Ryan Hall.

Rhinos are top of First Utility Super League with one game remaining in the regular season and last Friday’s score was their highest against top-flight opposition in six years.

Leeds were without several key players, including skipper Kevin Sinfield and prop Jamie Peacock and Hall had been expecting a close game. He admitted: “If you’d asked me at the start of the season if I thought we’d beat a team by 66 points this year, I’d have said no, but it was just one of those days when things worked for us and Salford probably weren’t on top of their game.

“It is no secret we’ve been working on our attack since pre-season and it is really good to see the fruits of that labour. Performances like that are all down to the hard work we’ve done previously.”

Hall bagged a brace of touchdowns in the 13-try rout, taking his tally for the season to 14. “Getting on the scoreboard is always nice,” he reflected. “To be on the end of some of those slick moves we had was good for me.”

A win over Catalans Dragons at Headingley on Sunday would send Rhinos into the Super-8s as league leaders.

“It is going to be tough work, it won’t be an easy game at all,” the England man predicted. “We have got a long turnaround so it is chance to put our feet up for a couple of days and then get down to training hard for it.”

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